The post about training, extreme cold and IMS

• My weekly blog update has turned into a bi-weekly update. Read on if you want to hear nothing but a lot of bitching and moaning. You have been warned...
• Lets start off with the bad to get it out of the way. Training for the Around the Bay 30K. Not going as well as it did last year. I definitely trained harder last year. I learned yesterday the the last hill on Valley Inn Road is not going to happen. Also dubbed "Heartbreak Hill" it's the reason I do hill repeats while training. It's a real bastard and I refuse to walk it. When you get to the top, you only have 3K left to run to the finish but it's the longest 3K ever. So funny thing is, this year I did not do hill repeats. I do hills while I run, but not repeats like I should for training. No excuse really except for the snow and cold. Which isn't a viable reason. We had snow and extreme cold last year too. So did I score? Not really. The last hill is a challenge and I love a challenge. It won't feel like the same race without the hill.
• Training for the Bay is the hardest race to train for. You have to train seriously and you have to do it in the dead of winter. We've had lots of extreme cold alerts. I'm likely going to exaggerate here, but it seems like they happen for a couple days weekly and have since the New Year. Last weekend, this past Thursday and Friday, all extreme cold days due to an arctic air mass. It's warmed up again, and the projected forecast doesn't look too bad. The worst day looks like Monday with a low of -24C. That I can handle. When it's -30C and colder, I can't run. My lungs hurt and I lose feeling in my lower body. That's when I'm likely to get frostbite. And frostbite is no joke. I lost 2 toenails to frostbite last winter. 
• Last Sunday I had to very grudgingly drag my ass to the gym and run on the DREADMILL. Only the 2nd time I've done this and I hated every minute of it. Truly. I listen to talk radio when I run and I can't get reception in my gym. The TV's don't interest me and I spent the entire time watching myself in the mirror. Which only confirmed what I already know. I look incredibly awkward when I run and I need to work on my form.
• Now for something positive. I went for a Pilates re-assessment at physio. I definitely have a stronger core. My assessor, Laura, could see some real improvement from when I first started back in November. This makes me happy. Pilates is also no joke. I get such a good full body workout during the hour I do it. I don't like going, but I never regret it once I'm done. And it's just one of those things I make myself do. Pilates is hard work and I'm always sore the next day.
• Something we discussed was my chronic hamstring issue. I injured it while training for my first half marathon 2 winters ago and although it's not always present, it bugs me from time to time. Especially when I up my mileage (now), or sit for a long time. Laura suggested I try IMS (IntraMuscular Stimulation). It's not fun physio. It's actually acupuncture and the needles would go into the backs of my upper thighs and buttocks. Definitely not as sexy as it sounds. I figure I'll give it a go. I've nothing to lose. I have an assessment booked for next week. 
• Yoga is still something I enjoy immensely. Due to a holiday this past week and having to run on Wednesday morning because I had to switch run days due to the cold, I haven't been since last Sunday and I'm missing it. Tomorrow I run 20K and I'm hoping to do it early enough so I can make the 10am class, but it's unlikely. I can't do the 12pm class because it's Julien's reconciliation and we have to be at church for 1:30pm. And Monday night I have plans to meet up with some awesome women I haven't seen in ages. I'm going through yoga withdrawal and I'm really jonesing. Can't wait for Wednesday morning. I'm gonna practice yoga like it's my job!

Yeah, I had wine...while training. Don't judge me...

• Let's touch on my eating now shall we? So I'm not eating enough. Counterproductive really. I need to a) remember to eat and b) eat more frequently. Never in a million years did I ever think food would be so unimportant to me. True story. Still following my grain-free lifestyle. That will likely not change anytime soon. It's how I feel most in control. Control is very important for a former binge eater. My mileage has increased over the past month so I really need to be mindful of getting enough quality calories into me.
• Wine has crept it's way back into my life. Not 4x a week which was my non-training wine schedule, but once a week. Had wine last weekend and again yesterday. Not the quality calories I should be ingesting right now, but it is what it is. I'm just a lying liar who does nothing but lies. And I'm over it...
• I've not weighed myself in a couple months and I'm fine with that. My body feels normal, if not a touch leaner. I'll tell you where I'm leaner, my torso/abdomen area. My legs have gotten more muscly. That is from running in the snow and working out on the Pilates reformer. My calves and inner thighs especially. And I don't mind at all. Bring on the leg muscle. I'm a runner! I've also got more defined shoulder muscles. That's just from yoga and Pilates. I'll take it!
• That's pretty much it. A dull and boring existence I lead. I think today I will be getting my hair trimmed and my bangs cut again. Exciting times. My forehead is massive. Really more of a fivehead to be honest. And this time of year is best for bangs. They don't stick to your head in a hot sweaty mess. Hoping you keep warm or cool. Depending on where in the world you are!

On Family Day this past Monday Julien and I met his cousins at the
Ontario Science Center. Fun times! Top right photo we're in the Imax theater.

The post about getting plowed and curvy girl problems

There's over a foot of snow there, but hubby shoveled before going to bed and it
snowed for several more hours after I took that pic.

• The snow that has been holding off for most of the winter reared it's ugly head this past week. We got dumped on Sunday into Monday. Monday was our first official snow day this winter. Schools were closed. Cars were grounded at work. I was stuck at home till my street got plowed. That didn't happen till afternoon. Julien and the neighborhood kids spent the better part of the day playing outside. I did some work and made a grocery list. I had zero food in the house. Luckily there is a grocery store right at the foot of my street so hubby walked to get enough stuff for the day. I went to do a food shop that night at Walmart. The upside was that no one was there. The downside? The parking lot was not plowed. 
• I've had a pretty uneventful week. Same shit, different day. I'm having a hard time concentrating. Just all the crazy that's happening at work and in life. This too shall pass and what doesn't kill us makes us stronger...or some kind of crap like that.
• Training is back on point. Just missed one yoga class this week due to the snow. But I've kept up with my runs. It's been bitterly cold. And the snow makes me use different leg muscles when I run. Especially running up and over the very large snowbanks. I'll not complain though. I'll have killer legs come spring. You can't track your pace in the snow. It's useless. You move much slower. Just gotta keep getting my sweat on and I'm good.

The baggy pants in question. Recent full body of me taken on Wednesday.

• I lost a pair of jeans this past week due to them being warn out. That's 2 pairs over the past 2 years. When I was morbidly obese my pants wore out in the upper thighs frequently. Pants wouldn't last me year. Both these jeans wore out in my bum. I'd no idea I rubbed my bum up against so much stuff. But apparently I do. Must be from being in my car so much. Although my thighs don't rub together anymore, I am building more muscle there which I like. I think it's from the Pilates and yoga. I like having muscly legs. Makes me feel strong.
• Two weeks ago someone commented to me that my baggy pants weren't fooling anyone and I should stop losing weight. I'm actually not losing weight. I am getting a touch leaner due to training which naturally happens when I up my mileage. I am building some muscle with Pilates and yoga too. But I am still completely curvy. I always have a huge gap in my waistband because I'm shaped like a pear. Reitman's has pants just for this body type and I bought a couple pair. But as you can see in the photos above, I am not too thin by any stretch of the imagination. I've just got curvy girl problems. The struggle is real.
• A pretty short post as I've run out of stuff to say due to a very boring week. And I gotta get my ass in gear and head out for a run. It's snowing lightly and a balmy -5C. It's gonna be a good run. Pretty and mild. Have a good one:-)

Bedtime cuddles with my beautiful boy...